Mirogoj Cemetery: Zagreb's park of arcades and memory
Mirogoj Cemetery (Gradsko groblje Mirogoj) is the central cemetery of Zagreb, laid out as a park on the slopes of Mount Medvednica, a few minutes by car from the city centre. Its monumental arcades, cupolas and entrance church were designed by Hermann Bollé, and the grounds shelter many of Croatia's best-known writers, scientists and public figures. It is one of the most noteworthy landmarks of the capital.
Mirogoj is a cemetery that works like an open-air gallery: long arcades, domes and sculptures set in a park on the slopes of Medvednica. Croats often call it their national Pantheon.
The history of Mirogoj Cemetery
In the 1860s Zagreb's burial grounds were small, scattered and tied to individual parishes and faiths, and by then they were overcrowded. In 1872 the city agreed with the archdiocese to close several of them, and in the early 1870s it bought the estate of Ljudevit Gaj, the linguist and co-founder of the Illyrian movement, on the slopes of Medvednica. The plan was a single central cemetery for the whole city.
Mirogoj was inaugurated on 6 November 1876. Unlike Zagreb's older cemeteries, which belonged to the Church, it was owned by the city, and a statute soon declared it a general cemetery for people of every faith, each community receiving its own area with equal rights. The grounds were divided into two parts: an outer zone laid out as an English-style park without graves, and an inner zone for burials, separated by a long wall.
The architect Hermann Bollé designed the main building. Work on the arcades, the cupolas and the church in the entrance block began in 1879, but money was short and the complex was only finished in 1929. Bollé, the leading architect of historicism in Croatia, is himself buried at Mirogoj, and the cemetery has never been the subject of the criticism that touched some of his other works.
Over the decades Mirogoj filled with the graves of writers, musicians, scientists, sportspeople and politicians, as well as memorials. These include a monument to the fallen of the First World War (1919), the Tomb of the People's Heroes (1968), a memorial to the victims of Bleiburg and the Way of the Cross (1994), a German military cemetery (1996) and a wall dedicated to Croatian victims of the War of Independence. On 22 March 2020 an earthquake struck Zagreb and caused significant damage across the city, including to the famous arcades of the cemetery.
Curiosities about Mirogoj Cemetery
- Mirogoj is nicknamed the Croatian Pantheon because of the number of eminent people buried here, and it is regarded as one of the most beautiful cemeteries in Europe.
- The arcades took half a century to complete: work began in 1879 and ended in 1929 because funds kept running out.
- The statute of the cemetery gave every faith its own area with equal rights, and today Catholic, Orthodox, Muslim, Jewish and Protestant graves lie side by side.
- With an area of about 72 hectares, Mirogoj is the largest cemetery in Croatia.
- The names buried here include writers Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić and Miroslav Krleža, seismologist Andrija Mohorovičić, Nobel laureate Vladimir Prelog, inventor Slavoljub Penkala, basketball player Dražen Petrović and Croatia's first president, Franjo Tuđman.
- Works by well-known sculptors such as Ivan Meštrović, Frano Kršinić, Antun Augustinčić and Robert Frangeš Mihanović can be seen among the graves.
Tours near Mirogoj Cemetery
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting Mirogoj Cemetery
- Start at the entrance building with its church and domes, then walk the long arcades, where many famous Croats have their last resting place.
- Allow time for the park-like grounds beyond the arcades, where sculptures and monuments mark both historic and modern graves.
- Memorials on site include the Tomb of the People's Heroes and the German military cemetery; as in any cemetery, visit quietly and with respect.
- A city bus line connects the cemetery with the Kaptol terminal in the heart of Zagreb, and the Tomb of the People's Heroes is listed as a neighbouring site.
- Check the current opening hours before you go, and note that some arcades were damaged by the 2020 earthquake.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Mirogoj Cemetery is
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Photos of Mirogoj Cemetery
Questions
What is Mirogoj Cemetery and where is it?
Mirogoj Cemetery is the central cemetery of Zagreb, a park cemetery on the slopes of Mount Medvednica in the Gornji Grad–Medveščak district. It is considered one of the city's most noteworthy landmarks.
Who designed Mirogoj?
The architect Hermann Bollé designed the main building, including the arcades, cupolas and the church in the entrance block.
When was Mirogoj opened?
It was inaugurated on 6 November 1876. The arcades, cupolas and entrance church were begun in 1879 and finished only in 1929.
Who is buried at Mirogoj?
Many famous Croats rest here, among them Miroslav Krleža, Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić, Andrija Mohorovičić, Vladimir Prelog, Dražen Petrović and Franjo Tuđman.
Is Mirogoj only for one religion?
No. The city-owned cemetery has taken burials from all faiths since it opened, and Catholic, Orthodox, Muslim and Jewish graves can all be found.
How do you get to Mirogoj from the centre of Zagreb?
It lies a few minutes by car from the centre, and a city bus line runs between the cemetery and the Kaptol terminal.
Also nearby
Tomb of the People's Heroes, Zagreb
Zagreb · Yugoslav-era memorial tomb at Mirogoj cemetery
350 m away
Stone Gate
Zagreb · last medieval gate and a candlelit shrine to Mary
2.5 km away
Lotrščak Tower
Zagreb · medieval tower, thieves' bell and daily noon cannon
2.5 km away
Well of Life
Zagreb · Meštrović's circle of bronze figures around a well
3 km away